Machine gun case and link ejection chute



Sept. 11, 1945. E. cjHoLToN MACHINE GUN CASE AND LINK EJECTION CHUTE Filed Aug. 25, 1941 1N VENOR. J/an,

Patented Sept. 11, 1945 Edward-C. Holton, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to North American Aviation, Inc., Inglewood, -Call!., a corporation of Delaware Application August 2a, museum No. 408,045

(ci. sa-sal 2 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to airplane guns, commonly of the rapid lire type, into one side of which a belt of link-connected cartridges are fed, and at the bottom of which the links are discharged and the spent cases are dropped. It is usual to provide a link and case receiver at the latter side of the gun mount including a short case receiving chute below lthe gun breech and a relatively taller link receiving chute upstanding to the link discharge station, with the chutes joining at a lower point for common discharge. Usually this common discharge is directed into a link and case container which must be removed from time to time when full, for the substitution of an empty container.

It has long been desired to connect the link and case discharge chutes with an overboard chute on the-airplane for continuous overboard discharge of links and cases, and elimination of their accumulation in containers. This is difficult owing to slight shifting of' the gun and it is one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a link and case receiver including link and case ejection chutes, having a common discharge, opening into an overboard chute on the airplane, and at the same time connected to, and yielding with, movements of the gun.

It is a further object to provide a exible link and case ejection assembly needing but a single point of connection with the gun, for the ejection of links and cases into an overboard chute, and which, on account of its exible nature, readily adapts itself to movements of the gun.

Since the usual link and case ejection assembly is formed of fabricated metal, the present exible assembly, formed for example of rubber or neoprene, not only provides for slight movements of the gun, but greatly simplies installation by the elimination of adjustments and adjustable mounting means, and greatly reduces time and cost in production as well as installation.

With the foregoing in mind, other and further objects of the invention, and its advantages in use, will be apparent from the following detailed larly showing the means at the link ejection chute for attachment thereof to a gun.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the assembly looking downwardly along line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail cross section through the link ejection chute taken substantially of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail partial cross section through the upper gun connected portion of the link ejection chute taken substantially along line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 of the above described drawing, there is indicated in dotted lines portions of a conventional airplane rapid re gun A of the fixed type in connection with which it is possible to discharge spent cases and links overboard through a suitable discharge opening of the airplane below the gun. Such opening may have a frame B also shown in dotted lines and pictured with an upstanding rim. The gun A is pictured as usual as though one is looking down the barrel from the breech end and as including the usual cross channel through which link-connected cartridges are fed from a feed opening at one side of the gun to a link discharge opening at the opposite side thereof. The direction of movement in the channel is indicated by the arrow A in the channel and it is well known that in the course of this movement the stripping of the cartridges from the connecting links frees the latter for movement laterallyfrom the link discharge opening. As is also well known, the spent cases are dropped through a lower case discharge openinglndicated at A2.

The gun A is also shown as provided with lat-l erally projectable links or apertured arms A3 below its link discharge opening for the support and connection of the link ejection chute of the present assembly, the openings of these links or arms being utilized to receive an assembly pin in amanner which will presently appear.

The link and case ejection assembly of the present invention includes a lower hollow body portion I0, preferably of rectangular form so that its lower open end or base may telescopingly intert the frame B of the overboard discharge openingpf the airplane.

'I'he top of the body Ill is open upwardly for a portion thereof at one side of its longitudinalcenter to form a case receiving chute I I positionable beneath the case discharge opening A2 of the gun and preferably provided at one end with an upright flap I2 adapted to upstand at one end portion of the case discharge opening A2 in a manner plainly to be seen in Fig. 1. This aralong line 4 4" rangement not only provides a resilient bumper against which the cases, discharged from the links, strike, but also cooperates with side lugs I3 of the case ejection chute II upstanding at opposite sides of the lower portion of the gun, for the purpose of preventing lateraldisplacement of the case chute I I with respect to the case discharge opening of the gun, to which it is not otherwise directly connected.

At the other side of its top. the body I is in open communication with the lower end of the link ejection chute I4 which rises therefrom in laterally and longitudinally inclined relation thereto and terminates at its upper end in a laterally curved and laterally opening link receiving mouth I5 opposite to the link discharge opening of the gun.

An outstandingly important feature of the present invention is that the entire link and case ejection assembly including body l0, case ejection chute II and link ejection chute I4, is formed in one part, molded of rubber, neoprene or other suitable lasting exible material which will lend itself to ready formation as a unit as well as to simple, quick and effective installation, and will permit of ready yielding to compensate for slight movements of the gun. For this reason the flap I2 and side lugs I3 are preferably reenforced by integral, vertical external ribs IB and I1, and the wall of the upper portion of the chute I4 is increased in thickness at the sides thereof as at I8, and around its link receiving mouth I5 to form a framing rib I9.

Below its receiving mouth l5, chute Il is provided with an internal reenforcing and attaching plate 20 curved to form the lower lip of said receiving mouth and provided with side wings.

2I embedded in the thickened side wall portions I8, as plainly seen by a comparison of Figs. 1 and 5, said plate serving as an anchor for an attaching bracket 22 to which it may be connected by short bolts 23, as seen in Fig. 5.

The bracket 22 sits llatwise, horizontally below the link receiving mouth I5 of chute Il and has upstanding lengthwisespaced tubular extensions 24, the spaces between which are ample for the reception of the before mentioned links or arms A3 extending vfrom the gun. Thus a. latch bar 25 may be extended through the alined openings of extensions 24 and links or arm A3 and will serve as the only needful connection between the assembly and the gun, leaving the former free to yield to slight movements of the gun, and permitting installation to be made without adjustments or adjustable mounting means.

Preferably one end of bracket has a slotted angular ear 26 and latch bar 25 has a shepherds crook clasp 21 at one end, as shown in Fig. 2, the extremity cf which may be extended through the slot of ear 26 to thus prevent danger of lengthwise displacement of the latch bar under the constant vibrations of the gun in use. This, however, is a, detail which, like others previously described, may be varied at will, without any sacrifice of the advantages inherent in the flexible unitary structure outlined and the manner in which it is proposed to install the same.

" linkand case-electing assembly including nonmetallic chutes arranged to receive respectively ejected links and cases from 'the gun, a hollow non-metallic body portion connecting with both chutes and in turn constructed and arranged to direct the links and cases overboard through the discharge opening, the bottom of said body portion being interiittingly connected with the aircraft and the link ejection chute having a positive connection with the gun, the case-ejection chute having gun-engaging flexible members to resiliently resist lateral displacement from its case-receiving position, the link-ejection chute being inclined laterally from the body in two directions, to receive. the links ahead oi' and at the side of the chute into which the cases are dropped, and the neck of the link-ejection chute being formed of a ilexible, elastic material and thus adapted to be laterally yieldable ,in said two directions.

2. A link and case discharge assembly for use in aircraft of the type having a gun mounted therein with a laterally opening link discharge member and a downwardly opening case discharge member, and also having an overboard discharge xture tor links and cases, said assembly including a lower generally upright chute open at its top and adapted to be mounted beneath the case discharge member of the gun, and at its bottom open for registry with the said overboard discharge fixture and constructed and arranged to be removably interilttlng therewith to hold said chute against displacement, and an upwardly inclined link discharge chute in open communication at its lower end with the case discharge chute and having an upper laterally opening receiving mouth adapted to be positioned opposite the link discharge member of the gun, said assembly being formed in a single piece with its walls throughout of a flexible, elastic material constructed and arranged to yield to individual vibrations of the ygun. and aircraft engaged portions thereof and to prevent communication of the vibrations therebetween, the said case dischargey chute having spaced upwardly projecting yielding elements adapted to engage sides of the case discharge member of the gun, a bracket below the link receiving mouth of the chute having spaced tubular extensions for connective cooperation with the gun and means passing through said extensions of said bracket and gun for connecting the link discharge chute with the gun and arranged to hold the case discharge chute extensions in engagement with the case discharge member, to thus hold the entire assembly in position with respect to the gun from a single position on the gun.

EDWARD C. HOLTON. 

